Misconceptions About Immigrants Part 1

After having a semi-heated discussion about illegal immigrants and the actions taken by Oakland’s Mayor Libby Schaaf -warning the community about ICE raids- it came to my attention that a lot of people are angry but they don’t fully comprehend immigration. Most of their beliefs are based on myths, that the media continue to spread and propaganda.  

Most immigrants are here illegally. Most immigrants are naturalized U.S. citizens (44%). 27% of immigrants who are not naturalized are a lawful permanent resident. They are known as green-card holders). Immigrants who are unauthorized make up 25.5%.

It’s easy to enter the country legally. There is a rigorous process for obtaining visas and permanent resident/green-card status. Many immigrants who arrived between 1790 and 1824 would not be allowed under the current immigrant policy.

Immigrants don’t want to learn English. Immigrants must speak, read, write and understand English in order to complete the naturalization application process and on a 100 question civics test that has an oral and written parts

Immigrants take good jobs from US Citizens. “The U.S. civilian workforce included 8 million unauthorized immigrants in 2014, which accounts for only 5 percent of the entire workforce”. 

Undocumented immigrant works often fill the void of low-skilled U.S Workers. As a result, it is a lot easier for unethical employers to “exploit this labor source, paying immigrants less, refusing to provide benefits and ignoring worker-safety laws. On an economic level, U.S. citizens benefit from relatively low prices on food and other goods produced by undocumented immigrant labor”.

Immigrants are “the worst” they come from other countries and bring crime/ violence. According to American Immigration by David A. Gerber, immigrants actually lower crime and violence. “Urban crime and social problems associated with immigration have not nearly approached the dimensions that alarmist have assumed. …immigrants are less likely to commit crimes or to be incarcerated than native-born Americans (54).

Undocumented immigrants don’t pay taxes and burden the national economy. Immigrants pay taxes every time they buy taxable goods such as gas, clothes or new appliances. They also pay property taxes which is the main source of school funding.

                                                                                                                                     

“A 2017 report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy highlights that undocumented immigrants pay an estimated $11.74 billion in state and local taxes a year. The U.S. Social Security Administration estimated that in 2010 undocumented immigrants—and their employers—paid $13 billion in payroll taxes alone for benefits they will never get. They can receive schooling and emergency medical care but not welfare or food stamps. Under the 1996 welfare law, most government programs require proof of documentation, and even immigrants with documents cannot receive these benefits until they have been in the United States for more than five years”.

https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/spring-2011/ten-myths-about-immigration